A charming pub in Manchester’s Gay Village has been left ‘thrilled’ after it was named CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2023.
Part bar, part hideout, The Molly House on Richmond Street shared the news about its win on Twitter this week, writing: “Thrilled to be awarded Central Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Year 2023”, accompanied by a championship cup emoji.
The decadent, alternative boozer in Manchester’s Gay Village – known for its dazzling choice of ales, craft beer, wines, spirits and tasty tapas dishes – is something of a favourite amongst locals in the know, split across two floors with a lovely upstairs terrace.
House in a former worsted tailors shop, it sits just off the main bustle of the area’s main thoroughfare Canal Street and has been a fixture here since opening in 2010.
Image: The Molly House
Image: The Molly House
Not just a boozer, it also serves twenty different styles of tea as well as coffee and specialist spirits, all in its post-Victorian ‘shabby chic’ settings.
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Downstairs, the ‘Tea Room’ is where the kitchen is situated. Here you’ll find a cask ale bar and large wooden tables, chairs and benches for dining, whilst upstairs in the Bordello the decor is more intimate with low-slung sofas and armchairs and more of a focus on cocktails.
On the tapas menu, served from 12-9pm daily, you’ll find the likes of prawns cooked in wine with paprika and chillies, mushroom croquetas and asparagus in tahini, alongside halloumi in harissa, John Dory with orange, artichokes and romesco, and chorizo on salsa.
As for drinks, the bar specialises in local brewers and the policy is to serve examples of many different beer styles – so you’ll find all sorts on offer here, ranging from Cloudwater craft beers to kegs and casks from RedWillow and Mallinsons.
Taking its name from a term used in 18th- and 19th-century Britain for a meeting place for homosexual men, the boozer keeps alive the history of those taverns, public houses, coffeehouses and even private rooms where men would often socialise in secret.
Viral chicken shop Wingstop is opening inside the Manchester Arndale
Daisy Jackson
Wingstop, the chicken shop famed for its vast range of wing flavours and sauces, is opening another spot in Manchester city centre.
The brand will be taking over the old Yo Sushi site in the Manchester Arndale, which shut down just last month.
It’ll mean there’ll be two Wingstop locations within a few minutes’ walk of each other, with another takeaway already well-established on Piccadilly Gardens.
Wingstop UKI has found viral fame with people taste-testing its wide range of hand-sauced chicken wing flavours, ranging from garlic parmesan all the way up to the eye-watering ‘Atomic’.
As well as chicken wings, it serves delicious tenders and burgers, all cooked to order.
There are also a range of sides, including loaded fries, sweet potato fries, and cajun fried corn, plus dips like ranch, honey mustard, and blue cheese.
Wingstop is also famed for its thick milkshakes – which are a necessity if you order your chicken down the spicier end of the scale.
Established in Texas in 1994, Wingstop rose rapidly to become one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the US.
The brand launched in the UK market in 2018, and into Ireland last year, and now operates more than 85 locations.
Wingstop is opening in Manchester Arndale
Wingstop will be moving into the 5,928 sq ft unit upstairs in Manchester Arndale, just opposite Next.
Scott Linard, Portfolio Manager for M&G Real Estate, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Wingstop to our vibrant F&B offer; an addition we’re sure will resonate with our younger visitors.
“With the additions of popular restaurant chains like Wingstop, coupled with the arrival of new retailers such as Arc’teryx, Alo Yoga, Pro:Direct and Sephora, we are strategically creating a destination where people across the North West and beyond want to spend their time.”
Steve Gray, Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, said: “Wingstop will join Manchester Arndale’s varied F&B mix, including Popeyes, Sides, Hotel Chocolat, Joe & The Juice and Café Nero.
“In-demand operators like this help create energy and momentum that allows the brands across the scheme to thrive, driving increased footfall, longer dwell times and a more compelling offer for visitors.”
The best cheese tasting party in the North is BACK at a new Manchester venue
Danny Jones
That’s right, one of the biggest and best cheese tasting nights in the entire land is returning to Greater Manchester at a brand new city centre venue.
Not to be over-the-top, but this isn’t just another experience sampling possibly the greatest foodstuff on Earth, it’s a fully-fledged cheese-lovers’ party.
Some of you may have come across Homage2Fromage before, but for anyone unaware of the Yorkshire-born event, it started out as a monthly cheese tasting club and went on to expand across the dairy-adoring North at large.
Relaunching here in Manchester for 2026, all you lactose-intolerant people better watch, because Home2Fromage is coming back with a vengeance and heading to the Northern Quarter. Here’s how it went down the last time we visited one in Leeds:
Leeds, Sheffield, Harrogate, Manchester and who knows where else next.
Posting up in a relatively recent addition to NQ‘s bar and restaurant scene, The Faraday – a pub on Lever St that replaces the old Seven Sins back in October – it looks set to be an ideal venue for the regular evening series.
Homage2Fromage will be making its Manc return this month, and better still, they’re holding a cheeky little giveaway to sweeten the pot.
As in the deal, we mean – not the inevitable bowls full of olives, chutney, oil and various other dips…
To welcome this celebration of all things cheese coming back to Manchester city centre, they’re giving away a bunch of free tickets: 20 pairs in total.
Worth over £50 a piece for each twin set of tickets, you’d be a fool not to at least throw your hat in the ring for this one.
As you can see, the competition closes this Thursday, 19 February, ahead of the full relaunch party next week (Wed, 25 Feb), and all you have to do to enter is fill out this super quick survey.
It really is as simple as that; a few quick words are all that stand between you and a potential mountain of cheese and more.
You can find all you need to know about the event right HERE, and in case you haven’t popped into The Faraday just yet, see more down below.
It’s still somewhat early days, but we can see ourselves spending a fair bit of time in this up-and-coming Manchester watering hole, especially when there’s cheese nights involved.
Georgina Pellant -
28th April 2023 
